If you don't think schools should reopen...

[TeaInMyStoneCup]

...what do you think should happen? Genuine question. I work full time (from home), as does DH (though not at home) and we have a soon to be 5 yo (in Sept). Do you think that we should just carry on as we had to in lockdown when nurseries closed, when we were at breaking point attempting to work and simultaneously look after him? It was shit for us and it was shit for him because I could never give him my full and undivided attention. I'm still catching up with work now and he went back to nursery in June.

I understand concerns but they don't seem proportionate to what we know is the mortality rate for this illness. Genuinely - what do you think should happen? Parents should just home school?

My two sisters and my mother are all teachers and can't wait to get back.

Let me be the first to remind you that there are many, many other threads on this very issue.
You could search these out.

Genuinely... I haven't seen anyone saying schools should not reopen so I'll watch this thread with interest. Genuinely...

As @ElizabethMainwaring said, there are so many threads on this already.

Everyone has their own concerns and their own limitations of what they are happy to do for lots of different reasons. I can’t imagine what your life has been like during lockdown for the same reason you can’t imagine my life during lockdown. Just worry about you. The schools are reopening so you get your wish.

And no one thinks the schools shouldn't open.

I've seen plenty of people on Facebook, Twitter and IRL say that schools should not reopen; I don't think it's an unpopular view.

4500 people in the uk have died from all scenarios in the last 3 days (average number of daily deaths is 1500)... 11 have died from covid... I think people now need to realise its time to Move on!

Oh great another opportunity for one side to throw around "so you don't want schools to open?" whilst the other side get accused "so you don't care about teachers/your children's health". Fun.

I haven’t seen anyone say schools shouldn’t reopen

One thing worth noting is primary is very very different with different risks to secondary. Lumping the two together is not helping the situation.

I think schools should open but the children go back part time to keep the bubbles smaller. I also think that those parents who don't want their children to go back to school yet can continue to keep them at home temporarily without having to de-register or be fined.

I understand primary is different from secondary.

I do think that in secondary schools pupils and teachers could be encouraged to wear masks.

I also think that those parents who don't want their children to go back to school yet can continue to keep them at home temporarily without having to de-register or be fined.

I do agree with that.

And thank goodness that we've got such a capable and trustworthy chap like Williamson to decide when it's safe to return.

I don't like Williamson either (or frankly any of the clowns in government at the moment), but again realistically I don't see what the alternative is.

No new arguments are likely to be brought up here. This one has been done to death.

The fact is that is isn't up to the likes of me and you (parents and teachers) to think of a viable, workable alternative.
It was the DfE's job and they had six months to come up with money and a plan.
They've done nothing.
I'm sincerely glad the your mum and sisters are keen to return.
I would be lying if I said that I am.

@elliejjtiny

I think schools should open but the children go back part time to keep the bubbles smaller. I also think that those parents who don't want their children to go back to school yet can continue to keep them at home temporarily without having to de-register or be fined.

But the trouble with children going back part time is that many parents still have to work full time - so i cant see part time is really an option - especially not if the economy is now the priority.

I agree that parents who would rather keep their kids at home should be allowed to do so without deregistering (although how long do you keep a spot open?) and fines; but then how do those at home get 'schooled' if teachers are now teaching back in classrooms? The gap for those at home v those at school and state v private and advantaged v disadvantaged areas is just going to widen

Its all such a mess!

It isn't a case of wanting schools to remain closed, it is a case of wanting them to open as safely as possible. I am secondary with a large 6th form; having 1500 adults (Year 10-13, not including the KS3 students in that 1500) in small rooms with no COVID secure measures is very worrying. We have no distancing, no masks, no additional hand washing facilities etc and just a one way system to reduce face to face contact.

What should be happening for older students is a blended learning approach. They will do far better with 2 guarenteed days a week in school and 3 at home consolidating their learning so that we can reduce class sizes, than being in for a few weeks full time then increasing risk of staff and student absence for testing and waiting for results/symptoms to subside. We all know that social distancing is the most effective measure to reduce transmission, and this cannot happen with all students in full time. Blended learning is the only sensible and probably the most reliable form of education right now.

Even at the height of lockdown most schools were open to some pupils so schools entirely not re opening was never going to happen. It has always been the case of reopening to how many more and how many hours they will do.

Bless ya being another confused person starting yet another thread about this.

Let's spell it out again.

No one wants or thinks schools should remain closed.

Most people (few seem to care beyond 9am on day 1) want schools open but to have the same covid secure set up as expected elsewhere to prevent spread.

This is to keep them open.

Alongside this they want a solid plan with funding for keeping up education in the case of closures. Rather than this government waffle of "if possible" added with "and we won't provide funding to make it possible"

Even when schools re-open, there will be times when they are shut (burst bubble and while class/year groups gets sent home; outbreak amongst teachers do not enough staff to operate safely; local or national lockdown)

Or of course you/household member might catch it somewhere else, or be close contact of a confirmed case and need 14 days isolation.

So everyone needs a plan of how they will cope for a no-notice 14 day isolation.

And all schools should be developing plans for off-site learning for forced closures and DC required to isolate, as both those things could easily happen and more than once

No one wants or thinks schools should remain closed.

They do, if Twitter, Facebook, and people I've spoken to IRL are anything to go by.

It's no good saying "people don't want schools to remain closed". One look on the above platforms would tell you otherwise.

A 14 day isolation would be fine. I just don't want to be trying to work full time and homeschool for months on end. Again.

I haven’t seen anyone say they want schools closed. I’ve seen a lot say they want schools to open safely then be falsely accused of wantng schools closed. There’s a difference.

If pupils are not in school, the schools won't get their pot of money to pay the staff. They can't keep a place while not actually being there, so their place should be available to other children.

If parents want to home educate, they are free to do so, but the school isn't going to provide work, and they need to give up to their child's place.

There are a few saying it but they are a tiny extreme and are not worth the attention.